Nigerian President seeks $1b to fight Boko Haram

Embattled Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has sought parliamentary approval to borrow up to $US1 billion (NZ$1.15 billion) to fight an insurgency by Boko Haram militants which has claimed thousands of lives in the past five years.

In separate letters to both houses of the national assembly yesterday, Jonathan said there was an "urgent need" to upgrade the equipment, training and logistics of the armed forces and security services to help them "confront this serious threat".

The Islamist rebels seized 276 girls from a secondary school in the Borno town of Chibok more than three months ago, triggering global outrage. Fifty-seven of them escaped and 219 others remain missing.